Mussels are dominant enough in flavour to be able to take on the powerfully fragrant Thai green curry aromatics and make one of the tastiest mussel dishes I have eaten. It’s so flipping delicious, you have to try it.
Beautiful fresh Scottish mussels are in season now (during the winter) and you can pick up a 1kg net from the supermarket for £3.79, which is a total bargain!
My little boys (now 7 and 5 years old) have been eating curries for the last couple of years, but only if they are not too spicy. When I make the Thai green curry paste, I only use 2 medium size green chillies so the finished curry is mild enough for them. In the recipe below, I’ve detailed the correct amount of green chillies you’d expect in the curry paste (as in a lot!), but you can choose how hot or mild you want yours to be.
You can also choose to skip making the curry paste from scratch and use a shop bought jar. But…..if you have a little time one weekend, it’s definitely worth making a batch of curry paste from scratch, portioning it and storing in the freezer. It tastes a million times better and fresher (even from frozen) than a Thai green curry paste in a jar.
Miraculous ingredients: fresh Scottish mussels from the Atlantic, coconut cream (with a high percentage of coconut extract), Kaffir lime leaves
Thai green curry mussels and aubergine
Ingredients
Thai green curry paste
2 medium size fresh green chillies, chopped
10 small fresh Thai green chillies, chopped
1 stick lemon grass, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2.5cm piece galangal, chopped
3 coriander roots, chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon kaffir lime leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons shrimp paste (Thai Taste is a good brand)
1 teaspoon salt
Thai green curry mussels and aubergine
1kg fresh mussels, washed and de-bearded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons green curry paste (above recipe) or a shop bought green curry paste (Thai Taste and Bart Ingredients green curry pastes are both made in Thailand and are decent brands)
160ml coconut cream
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon palm sugar
4-5 Thai aubergines, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes (these are small, long aubergines)
2 Kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced – if you can’t get fresh, then freeze dried is a good alternative
20 fresh Thai basil leaves
Method
Thai green curry paste
Place all the ingredients in a mini chopper and blitz until you have a smooth paste. If it’s thick and doesn’t whizz around well, add a tablespoon of water to loosen the ingredients so you can achieve a smooth paste. The little bit of extra water will evaporate quickly when you fry the curry paste.
Thai green curry mussels
Remove the little beards from each mussel by pulling hard, wash the mussels under cold running water and place in a large sauce pan with a tight fitting lid. Place the sauce pan on a medium heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes. During the cooking time turn the mussels with a wooden spoon, so the mussels at the top of the pan move to the bottom and are in contact with the heat.
The mussels will be done when all the shells are fully open and the mussel meat has come away from the sides of the shell to form plump little ovals.
Pour the mussel liquor from the sauce pan into measuring jug and leave to one side to settle – this is the stock for the Thai green curry mussels. This step is important. Any 'grit' from the mussels will float to the bottom of the jug so when you use the liquor as a stock in the curry you can make sure the 'grit' doesn't end you in your final dish.
Place a large frying pan or wok on a medium high heat, add the oil and chopped garlic. Fry for 30 seconds.
Add 2 tablespoons of Thai green curry paste, stir and fry for a couple of minutes.
Add the coconut cream and fry until it thickens and curdles, approx. 5 minutes.
Add the fish sauce, sugar, lime leaves, mussel stock and stir.
Add the aubergine cubes and cook until they are soft, approx. 5 minutes.
Add the basil leaves, stir and cook for another minute.
Turn the heat off and add the cooked mussels in their shells. Stir well so all the mussels are coated in the curry sauce.
Serve with Thai jasmine rice.
Preparation time 20 minutes, cooking 30 minutes, 2 adult portions, 2 child portions